# Hackney South (UK Parliament constituency)

Hackney South was a parliamentary constituency in "The Metropolis" (later the County of London). It was represented by nine Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, only two of whom, Horatio Bottomley and Herbert Morrison, were elected more than once.

## History

The constituency was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885 when the two-member Parliamentary Borough of Hackney was split into three single-member divisions. The seat, officially the Southern Division of the Parliamentary Borough of Hackney was first contested at the 1885 general election. The constituency was abolished in 1955.

## Boundaries
### 1885–1918

In 1885 the constituency was defined as consisting of:
* No. 7 or South Hackney Ward of Hackney Parish
* No. 6 or Homerton Ward of Hackney Parish
* The part of the No. 5 or Hackney Ward of Hackney Parish south of the centres of Everning Road, Upper Clapton Road, and the Upper and Lower Clapton Roads.

### 1918–1950

The Representation of the People Act 1918 redrew constituencies throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Seats in the County of London were redefined in terms of wards of the Metropolitan Boroughs that had been created in 1900. The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was divided into three divisions, with the same names as the constituencies created in 1885. Hackney South was defined as consisting of:
* Homerton Ward
* South Hackney Ward
* The part of Clapton Park Ward to the south of a line drawn along the centres of Glenarm Road, Glyn Road and Redwald Road to its junction with Maclaren Street, thence across the recreation grounds in Daubeney Road to the borough boundary at a point fifty feet north of a boundary post situate at the junction of the Waterworks River with the River Lea at Lead Mill Point.

### 1950–1955

Under the Representation of the People Act 1948 the Boroughs of Hackney and Stoke Newington jointly formed two seats, the borough constituencies of Stoke Newington and Hackney North and Hackney South. Hackney South was enlarged: consisting of the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney except the five wards of Leaside, Maury, Southwold, Springfield and Stamford.

### Redistribution

Following a review of constituencies by the Boundary Commission appointed under the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949, parliamentary seats in the metropolitan boroughs of Bethnal Green, Hackney and Stoke Newington were redrawn. The Hackney South constituency was abolished, with most passing to a new Hackney Central borough constituency, and some parts to Bethnal Green.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| 1885 | Sir Charles Russell | Liberal | later Baron Russell of Killowen |
| 1894 by-election | John Fletcher Moulton | Liberal | later Baron Moulton |
| 1895 | Thomas Herbert Robertson | Conservative | |
| 1906 | Horatio Bottomley | Liberal | resigned 16 May 1912 after being declared bankrupt |
| 1912 by-election | Hector Morison | Liberal | |
| 1918 | Horatio Bottomley | Independent | expelled 1 August 1922 after being convicted of fraud |
| 1922 by-election | Clifford Erskine-Bolst | Conservative | |
| 1923 | Herbert Morrison | Labour | later Baron Morrison of Lambeth |
| 1924 | George Garro-Jones | Liberal | later 1st Baron Trefgarne |
| 1929 | Herbert Morrison | Labour | later Baron Morrison of Lambeth |
| 1931 | Marjorie Graves | Conservative | |
| 1935 | Herbert Morrison | Labour | later Baron Morrison of Lambeth |
| 1945 | Herbert Butler | Labour | |
| 1955 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Russell | 3,544 | 57.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Charles Darling | 2,602 | 42.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 942 | 15.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,146 | 70.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,684 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
Russell was appointed Attorney General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.
1886 Hackney South by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Russell | 3,174 | 61.4 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Scoble | 1,979 | 38.3 | −4.0 |
| | Independent Liberal | Henry Munster | 17 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,195 | 23.1 | +7.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,170 | 59.5 | −11.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,684 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +3.8 | |
General election 1886: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Russell | 2,800 | 50.9 | −6.8 |
| | Conservative | Charles Darling | 2,700 | 49.1 | +6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 100 | 1.8 | −13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,500 | 63.3 | −7.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,684 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −6.8 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Russell | 4,440 | 57.4 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Robertson | 3,294 | 42.6 | −6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,146 | 14.8 | +13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,734 | 70.0 | +6.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,048 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +6.5 | |
Russell is appointed Attorney General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 1892: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Russell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Russell is appointed Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, becoming Lord Russell of Killowen, causing a by-election.
1894 Hackney South by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Moulton | 4,530 | 51.1 | −6.3 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Robertson | 4,338 | 48.9 | +6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 192 | 2.2 | −12.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,868 | 75.9 | +5.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,688 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −6.3 | |
General election 1895: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Robertson | 4,681 | 51.8 | +9.2 |
| | Liberal | John Moulton | 4,362 | 48.2 | −9.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 319 | 3.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,043 | 73.2 | +3.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,360 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +9.2 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Robertson | 4,714 | 51.9 | +0.1 |
| | Liberal | Horatio Bottomley | 4,376 | 48.1 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 338 | 3.8 | +0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,090 | 69.1 | −4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,146 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.1 | |
General election 1906: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Horatio Bottomley | 6,736 | 57.1 | +9.0 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Robertson | 3,257 | 27.6 | −24.3 |
| | Free Church and Progressive | William Riley | 804 | 15.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,479 | 29.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,797 | 89.9 | +20.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,126 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +16.7 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Horatio Bottomley | 7,299 | 62.9 | +5.8 |
| | Conservative | Conway Wertheimer | 4,304 | 37.1 | +9.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,995 | 25.8 | −3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,603 | 82.2 | −7.7 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −1.8 | |
General election December 1910: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Horatio Bottomley | 5,068 | 49.4 | −13.5 |
| | Conservative | Sydney Charles Nettleton King-Farlow | 3,243 | 31.6 | −5.5 |
| | Independent Liberal | Richard Roberts | 1,946 | 19.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,825 | 17.8 | −8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,257 | 72.6 | −9.6 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −4.0 | |
* Roberts was nominated by a breakaway local Liberal Association opposed to Bottomley, which was recognised by the London Liberal Federation.
1912 Hackney South by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hector Morison | 5,339 | 52.5 | +3.1 |
| | Conservative | John Constant Gibson | 4,836 | 47.5 | +15.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 503 | 5.0 | −12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,175 | 70.1 | −2.5 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −6.4 | |
General election 1918: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Horatio Bottomley | 11,145 | 79.7 | New |
| C | Liberal | Arthur Henri | 2,830 | 20.3 | −29.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,315 | 59.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,975 | 55.4 | −17.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 25,212 | | |
| | Independent gain from Liberal | Independent gain from Liberal | Independent gain from Liberal | Independent gain from Liberal | Independent gain from Liberal |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

1922 Hackney South by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Coalition Unionist | Clifford Erskine-Bolst | 9,118 | 50.2 | New |
| | Labour | Holford Knight | 9,046 | 49.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 72 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,164 | 56.3 | +0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,262 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Independent | Unionist gain from Independent | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1922: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Clifford Erskine-Bolst | 14,017 | 60.2 | N/A |
| | Labour | Holford Knight | 9,276 | 39.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,741 | 20.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,293 | 70.0 | +14.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 33,284 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Independent | Unionist gain from Independent | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1923: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Herbert Morrison | 9,578 | 42.8 | +3.0 |
| | Liberal | George Garro-Jones | 6,757 | 30.2 | New |
| | Unionist | Clifford Erskine-Bolst | 6,047 | 27.0 | −33.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,821 | 12.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,382 | 65.8 | −4.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 34,037 | | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +18.1 | |
General election 1924: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Garro-Jones | 13,415 | 53.5 | +23.3 |
| | Labour | Herbert Morrison | 11,651 | 46.5 | +3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,764 | 7.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,066 | 72.5 | +6.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 34,565 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Labour | Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | +9.8 | |
General election 1929: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Herbert Morrison | 15,590 | 51.2 | +4.7 |
| | Unionist | Sir Tresham Lever, 2nd Baronet | 8,222 | 27.0 | New |
| | Liberal | Muriel Morgan Gibbon | 6,302 | 20.7 | −32.8 |
| | Communist | J. T. Murphy | 331 | 1.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,368 | 24.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,445 | 69.2 | −3.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 43,997 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +18.8 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Marjorie Graves | 15,920 | 55.4 | +28.4 |
| | Labour | Herbert Morrison | 12,827 | 44.6 | −6.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,093 | 10.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,747 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Herbert Morrison | 15,830 | 59.3 | +14.7 |
| | Conservative | Marjorie Graves | 10,876 | 40.7 | −14.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,954 | 18.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,706 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General Election 1939–40
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
* Labour: Herbert Morrison
* Liberal National:

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Herbert Butler | 10,432 | 51.6 | −7.7 |
| | National Liberal | Stanley Price | 4,901 | 24.2 | −16.5 |
| | Communist | William Rust | 4,891 | 24.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,531 | 27.4 | +8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,224 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Herbert Butler | 35,821 | 61.0 | +9.4 |
| | Conservative | Herbert P. Brooks | 15,105 | 25.7 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal | Frank Albert Marlow | 5,575 | 9.5 | New |
| | Communist | John Richard Betteridge | 1,891 | 3.8 | −20.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,716 | 35.3 | +7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,392 | 77.4 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Hackney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Herbert Butler | 39,271 | 66.5 | +5.5 |
| | Conservative | Peter Rawlinson | 18,003 | 30.5 | +4.8 |
| | Communist | John Richard Betteridge | 1,744 | 3.0 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,268 | 36.0 | +0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,018 | 77.1 | −0.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |